Site Navigation

Site Mobile Navigation

Readers Go Even Deeper for the Cheap in New York

Justin Lane/European Pressphoto AgencyOn Saturdays from 5:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., admission to the Guggenheim Museum is “pay what you wish.”

Judging from the number of readers’ comments, my post last week on researching frugal trips to New York City only scratched the surface. Many of the tips were new to me, including Web sites I’d never heard of (like ClubFreeTime.com) to restaurants I’ve yet to try out (like a nonprofit restaurant near the Cloisters). Here’s a roundup of my favorites.

Where to Stay
I had recommended Quikbook.com as a way to find good hotel rates, but danielle h noted that “Travelzoo has GREAT hotel discounts. There are many, many centrally located, 3 and 4 star hotels for under $150 a night — and some even include breakfast.” For renting short-term apartments, reader Sam suggests GuestHouseNetwork.com: “you get an actual apartment (with full kitchen) for less than a regular hotel room. I was also able to check location and see photos, so I knew I wasn’t getting jobbed.”

Librado Romero/The New York TimesTHe Y.M.C.A. in Harlem.

Meanwhile, Mary wrote: “How could you forget the New York City YMCAs when discussing affordable hotels? I recently booked a room at the Vanderbilt Y (near the UN and Grand Central) for my high-standards mother who found her room to be very clean, the facility well-supervised and maintained, and the location to be unbeatable-all for around 90 bucks a night!”

And two readers, Virginia and Peter Newman, recommended that New York visitors stay in … New Jersey! “If this formula works for you – luxury + low price + extra transportation time (maybe) — bid on a 4* hotel in the PriceLine Hoboken/Jersey City category, and be ready to take the PATH train or a water taxi (I think) into Manhattan,” Virginia wrote. “The hotels used are new and dazzling, often with drop-dead river views — at least one of them is basically IN the river. I’ve gotten rooms there for guests for $95-$150. “

“The PATH train to Manhattan is easy but not quite as convenient as being right in Manhattan, though it goes to several Manhattan stops,” Virginia added. “This strategy might be best for people who know NY pretty well, like former New Yorkers or frequent visitors.”

What to Do
To tap into the city’s boundless energy, I mentioned several publications and Web sites — from New York Magazine to TheSkint.com — to find out cheap thrills. There are many more.

Marianna suggested ClubFreeTime.com as “a fantastic source of free things to do” with “more than twenty to thirty listings” every day. And Ryan reminded me ofThe L Magazine, “a free bi-monthly publication [with] listings of free and cheap events to go to,” and 8coupons.com, which “has eight weekly deals about stuff in the city. You get a list e-mailed to you and if something appeals to you, a ‘coupon’ is texted to your phone. Just show that where ever and you get some good deals.”

Many readers also had specific suggestions of things to do. A reader named Constant Visitor pointed out that, “Many if not all of the museums have free night. For example, MOMA is free on Friday evenings.” And the Skint directed readers to a complete breakdown.

Theater fans might want to heed the advice of HG, who wrote, “If you want to see plays beyond the TKTS booth, I love Audience Extras. For $80, you get unlimited access for a year to the many plays they list daily —- from Broadway to Off Broadway. Each ticket is priced at $3.75. They often have concerts, too, and special shows like A Prairie Home Companion.”

And according to Ari, “If you’re a student of some sort and want to see a Broadway show for not a lot of money (usually around $30), try getting Student Rush tickets. You have to get in early and be waiting in line (with a student ID in hand … this is the key!) when the box office opens. Not all theaters offer these tickets so it’s a good idea to check in advance, but it can be a great experience, both for the shows and for the people you meet while waiting in line.”

Julien Jourdes for the New York TimesA performance at St. Thomas Church.

And if you’re into classical music, wrote Karen, “St. Thomas Church on fifth avenue has multiple ‘free performances’ every week —- their services and evensongs. This superb choir and organists can be enjoyed by anyone seeking solace from the hustle and bustle of midtown. For lovers of the anglican musical tradition, it is a real treat. There’s nothing else comparable in North America.”

The aptly named “Jared the tourguide” reminded me that tour guides don’t always have to be expensive. “A private guided tour with an expert licensed guide can cost as little as $200 for four hours, whether it is for 1 or 10,” he wrote. “That’s twice as long as a Broadway show which costs $100 for two hours per person.” To find great guides, he suggested the Guides Association of NYC.

Finally, Chelsea pointed out “the best, always free, activity in NYC: walking! My dad and I used to have a tradition of setting out from our apartment and simply turning whichever direction the traffic light allows. Even though he grew up on Long Island (with frequent trips into the city) and I’ve lived sporadically in NYC for the past 12 years, we never failed to find new and fascinating places that way. A walk I always recommend to people new to the city is simply straight down 5th Ave. Start up near the Met and walk all the way down to Washington Square Park. It’s a perfect introduction to NY’s changing neighborhoods.”

Where to Eat and Drink
With so many restaurants to choose from, it can be hard to decide where to eat. Luckily, readers offered plenty of ways to narrow the choices to what’s good and affordable. Cheaptoboot.com was Rahim’s pick for its “Great list of byobs, restaurnts, bars, and other NYC finds, including decent happy hours.” Laurie Knoebel likes cheapeatery.com for “meals, not just snacks and sides, priced under $10.”

Rachel pointed out Yelp, which I’d somehow overlooked, as “a great place for restaurant reviews and finding events in the city,” and also suggested “the Lunch Club, which generally has cheap events and is a great way to meet people.”

Hiroko Masuike for The New York TimesKati rolls at Biryani Cart on West 46th Street.

For the cheapest of meals, Peter R. suggested NewYorkStreetFood.com as a “good source for finding the best street food, whether carts or the mobile food trucks that roam around the city.” And at the other end of the dining spectrum, Jean Ng recommended Restaurant.com, which “offers $25/$50/$100 gift certificates of participating restaurants for $10/$20/$40 or LESS. I got a $25 certificate for $2 during one of their many annual specials, and the restaurant was top notch.”

Of course, many readers had specific restaurant suggestions. One of the most popular was L’Ecole (462 Broadway;, 212-219-3300; www.frenchculinary.com), the restaurant of the French Culinary Institute, where students staff the kitchen. “Really exquisite french food, and the dinners and lunches are a very low cost prix and in a very stylish but comfortable surroundings,” wrote Andrea. “It’s a way to experience the great restaurant scene of New York and really superb food without breaking the bank.”

Joe recommended Frost Restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (193 Frost Street, 718-389-3347) for Italian food. “Very good prices. Old school. The real thing,” he wrote. And Raoul Abdul called the New Leaf Cafe (1 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park, 212-568-5323), a nonprofit restaurant near the Cloisters, one of the best-kept secrets. “Situated in an old stone building, it reminds me of a country inn,” he wrote. “The food is as delicious as it is adventurous. The young staff is very friendly and helpful. ”

More Tips

Yana Paskova for The New York TimesA New York taxi cab.

Finally, jesse had an intriguing solution to a problem we’ve all faced — items forgotten in taxis. Just check out nyctaxifinder.com, jessewrote: “It is free, but you will need the taxi’s medallion number.” And a fair bit of luck, too, we imagine.

Thanks for all the recommendations so far, readers, and keep them rolling in!

….to add to the idea of staying in NJ, if you stay in the Embassy Suites in Secaucus, there’s a public bus (the 320) that stops right in front of the hotel and takes you directly to the Port Authority…in about 20 minutes you’ll be in Manhattan. Also for free stuff to do, freenyc.net is a good resource with new listings everyday. As for streetfood, another good resource is MidtownLunch.com, which has a whole cart section.

Living in New York on the cheap is hard enough without having to compete with tourists for deals. Why would any sane New Yorker give visitors tips on how to find freebies? Don’t we want tourists to spend their money and stimulate the city’s economy.

No mention of cheap, yet excellent food in NYC is complete without mention of Mamoun’s!. Chinatown in Manhattan is also a treasure trove of tasty, low cost treats, such as the phenomenally good Dumpling House on Eldridge Street.

I totally recommend Groupon — everyday they email you an amazing deal in the city — from a massage to wine classes to tours to restaurants. Recently I picked up a coupon for Big Daddys – a great place to take kids. Check it out – its free! //www.groupon.com/new-york/

A great & relatively cheap way to get around New York is the subway. Travel underground and, especially during the busy holiday seasons, avoid the surface crowds and traffic. But, if you’re new to the city or just a little unsure of all of the lines and directions, check out //www.hopstop.com. It gives you complete, step by step, stop by stop directions, and will even tell you which way to turn when you get above ground to get to your destination. Just put in your from and to locations and it will map out your trip.

Oh my favorite site is nycdailydeals (www.nycdailydeals.com) — a great deal everyday. so many sites inundate you with dozens of things going on. so hard to sort through. this site makes it easy. they do all the grunt work and have some amazing exclusives. ive won broadway tickets and gift certificates from them. good stuff!

One of my favorite free things is the free audio tours of Central Park, which you download from //www.centralpark.com/pages/walking-tours.html
You just need to sign up as a member of the site, which is free, and download either of the tours to your ipod or mp3 player. You’ll find some fascinating info about the park.

Also, the Jewish Museum at 5th Ave & 92nd St is free on Saturdays.

The Transit Museum in Brooklyn, which is really cool, is only $5 for adults, $3 for children.

The NYC Fire Museum, which has a wonderful collection of fire gear and equipment dating back to the late 18th century asks for a suggested donation of $5 for adults and $1 for children.

As someone mentioned above, my favorite thing to do is just pick a different section of the city and walk. I love finding cool bits of architecture, pocket parks, little things that most people just walk right past.

Liberty Harbor Marina and RV Park in New Jersey, right across from the tip of Manhattan–we camped 8 people for $60 bucks a night there this summer. They have showers, laundry facilities and security. It’s a 5 minute walk to the ferry to the tip of Manhattan. You can see the Statue of Liberty from the campground. It’s a half mile walk to the Path train and about a mile from a full service grocery store. It was the only way I could take a big family on a trip to NYC.

This may not be right for everyone but one way to save a lot of money is to swap houses. We live in NY and have swapped houses six times with families from other countries. Sometimes we also swap cars. It not only saves money on hotels, but it can save a lot on food if you choose to eat at home, and can be be a much more comfortable way to travel than staying in hotel rooms and eating all meals in restaurants. You can also save on kennel fees if your exchange partners offer to take care of your pets, if you have any. We use homeexchange.com.

Living in New York on the cheap is hard enough without having to compete with tourists for deals. Why would any sane New Yorker give visitors tips on how to find freebies?

— brooklyn, #4

Pretty selfish there, brooklyn. One of the hidden secrets of NY is the warmth of its residents. I’ll stand in line behind a few tourists for a cheap brunch for an extra 5 minutes to maintain that reputation.

Remember, the metropolitan museum has pay as you wish all the time. Decide on a fair donation and present it to the ticket purchase booth and you will be given your ‘button’ for admission.
Also, the metropolitan opera sells side balcony seats for about 22 USD. Although it is partial view. You can still hear and see quite well and watch the beautiful chandeliers rise before your eyes.
Check the seating chart out at the box office and I suggest only seats #1 through 4 in a side balcony box. Seats #5 and 6 are in a higher, rear box with less of a view. Seats #1 to 4 are in the front boxes.

I didn’t realize the Guggenheim had that deal on Friday nights, glad to know it.

Having an iphone with yelp on my last NYC trip was hugely beneficial, particularly in helping to decide which restaurants to eat at. Instead of taking chances at NYC’s all-too-typically overpriced & mediocre (at best) bistros, I ate very well at yelper-approved restaurants on a modest budget.

And using the maps on iphone to find the city’s subways & buses was such a breeze I never once resorted to hailing a cab! No, I don’t work for Apple, I just cannot emphasize what a positive difference having this tool meant to this occasional NY visitor.

“Living in New York on the cheap is hard enough without having to compete with tourists for deals. Why would any sane New Yorker give visitors tips on how to find freebies? Don’t we want tourists to spend their money and stimulate the city’s economy.”
Are you serious ?
How can you be so “cheap” ?
Do you believe that everybody who comes to NY has a lot of money ?
People bring money to the city even if they are not millionaires who stay at The Plaza.
And they are welcomed by more than a majority of New Yorkers.
You will still have your bagel and beer, no visitor will take it from your hand.
Try to smile and be kind to anybody you believe is trespassing your domain.